It Only Took a Hundred Years: The Demarcation of the Russo-Polish Border after the First Partition of Poland, 1772-1781

• In Event: Uncertain Boundaries: Border Issues in Early Modern Russia

Abstract

The First Partition of Poland in 1772 is widely regarded as the first major step toward the eventual dissolution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. While the geopolitical dimensions of the partitions have been extensively studied, the specific processes that accompanied them remain less explored, despite their potential to complicate prevailing scholarly narratives. This paper examines one such process: the demarcation of the Russo-Polish border along the Ukrainian and Belarusian stretches between 1775 and 1781. Though seemingly swift, this demarcation was, in fact, the culmination of a century-long territorial dispute that exposed not only the competing agendas of both states but also deeper structural challenges. These included divergent administrative practices, conflicts over local governance, and the sheer logistical complexity of delineating such an extensive frontier. By analyzing the protracted nature of this border-making process, this study sheds new light on the Russo-Polish relations before and after the First Partition.

Author

• Andrey V. Gornostaev, U of Toronto (Canada)